Published:  00:00 Tuesday - March 10, 2009

German experts are surveying the Buu Thanh (King Tu Duc’s tomb) in the former imperial city of Hue to prepare for the painstaking restoration of the city’s historical relics and artifacts.

The Hue heritage centre said that experts from the Germany Conservation, Restoration and Education Projects will help restore the relics with traditional lime mortar - a mixture of lime and water - instead of cement, which is widely used today.

The project is scheduled for completion by early 2010.

Germany previously funded a similar project to restore the paintings hanged on the walls of An Dinh Palace.

King Tu Duc died in 1883 and was buried in the Buu Thanh inside the Royal citadel of Hue.